Google’s AI Mode Can Now Answer Questions About Images

Google is pushing the boundaries of search with a significant upgrade to AI Mode, its experimental Google Search feature designed to handle complex, multi-layered queries. Now, users can go beyond text-based input and ask questions about images they upload or take directly with their cameras.

Powered by the multimodal capabilities of Google Lens, this new functionality allows AI Mode to analyze photos with impressive depth. It can understand entire scenes—recognizing objects, their relationships, materials, colors, shapes, and arrangements. Google’s technique, called “query fan-out,” enables the AI to generate multiple queries about the image and the objects within it, delivering a far more detailed and contextual response than traditional search.

For instance, a user could snap a picture of their bookshelf and ask, “If I enjoyed these, what are some similar books that are highly rated?” AI Mode would identify each book, infer preferences, and return personalized recommendations with direct links for more info or purchase. Users can also go deeper by adding follow-ups like, “Which one of these recommendations is the shortest?”—narrowing results in real-time.

Initially rolled out to Google One AI Premium subscribers, AI Mode is now becoming available to millions more users through Google Labs, the company’s testing ground for experimental features. The expansion signals Google’s intention to compete directly with emerging AI-powered search tools like Perplexity and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search.

Launched just last month, AI Mode represents Google’s next step in evolving search from static keyword lookups to a more fluid, conversational, and visually intuitive experience. As the feature continues to develop, Google plans to refine user interactions and roll out even broader capabilities—pushing search into a new era of contextual, AI-driven discovery.